the fire is coming
by thequeenofokay
Summary: She uses her 0-8-4 powers in front of two dozen SHIELD agents to save them, and it just spirals from there. SHIELD requests she is turned in. For testing. The team is having none of it. / / In which Skye has to go on the run, and Ward isn't leaving her.
1. we should run

**notes****:**

_+ this was partly inspired by a little bit of DrawnToDarkness's Five Times Ward Brought Skye Flowers._

_+ i'm not very good at multichapter, so expect updates to be slow. i have no idea where this is actually going, so i'm definitely open to suggestions._

_+ title (and probably all chapter titles) from run by daughter. which i listened to on repeat while writing this._

_+ unbetad bc i am still a lazy arse. all mistake are my own, and feel free to point them out._

* * *

She has no other choice. She uses her 0-8-4 powers in front of two dozen SHIELD agents to save them, and it just spirals from there. SHIELD doesn't like her to begin with. But a person as an 0-8-4? They request that she is immediately turned in. For testing.

The team is having none of it. Ward, Jemma and Fitz are all a little shocked at first to learn of her status, but they are nothing if not protective of her. For that, she is eternally grateful. She half-expected them to abandon her like everyone else in her life has before.

Which isn't to say that Fitz and Simmons aren't a little… wary. And curious. Skye can tell they are trying their best not to ask for blood samples. Ward is just very quiet.

Coulson spends a good hour in his office with May, shouting at the agents on the other end of the line.

Skye hides in her room and tries not to cry. She hugs her knees to her chest. If she holds on tight enough maybe she can keep herself together.

The shouting has stopped. There is a knock on her door. "Mmm," she replies, her throat too tight to form real words.

Ward opens it, looking worried. "Come on," he tells her. "Coulson wants to speak with us all."

They gather round the Holotable like it is any normal briefing. Skye wishes it was. But no matter how hard she tries, it isn't.

Coulson's jaw is set in anger. Skye doesn't remember the last time she saw him like this. "SHIELD is still requesting we turn you in for testing."

Skye wants to be sick. "I… yeah," she says, pressing her eyes closed. "Okay."

"We won't be doing that." May's expression is blank and her words short, but Skye thinks that there is an insulted looks in the woman's eyes. But maybe she's imagining it.

Skye is confused. "Are you going to let me go? Won't you get into trouble?"

Coulson laughs humorlessly. "We'll be fine."

Skye nods. She doesn't want to leave the team behind. It's hardly been a year, but there is no doubt that it has been the best year of her life so far. She's going to hate being on her own again. Before the team she didn't know what it was like to rely on anyone, to trust anyone; now she has forgotten how to be alone. "So what now?" she asks.

"We feel it will be easiest to drop you somewhere on our route to the Hub. If we landed there would be a record of it," Coulson says. "You only have about an hour until you'll have to go." He looks at her for a second, the full weight of his words hitting them all. "I'm sorry," he says, and there is something horrible, terribly sad in his voice.

"Yeah." Skye nods again. She's pretty sure if she says anything else her voice will break. SHe doesn't want her team's last memory of her to be her in tears.

"Agent Ward will be accompanying you," Coulson adds.

Skye's head jerks up. "What?" she asks.

"We can't leave you on your own," Coulson tells her softly. "As accomplished as you might be, you can't outrun the full might of SHIELD on your own."

"No." Skye shakes her head, taking a step back, her attention going to the man in question. "No, I can't ask that of you. It's bad enough that I'm getting you all in trouble, I can't ask you to throw away your life too."

"I'm responsible for you," he tells her, like it's only him being sensible, like he isn't going to ruin his life for her. "I'm your SO. I need to make sure you're protected." Skye feels like she might hear a hint of guilt in his voice for a certain near-death related incident that befell her.

"Someone needs to go with you," May puts in before she can protest. "Agent Ward is the best choice. You need to be with someone prepped for combat, and I need to stay here to negotiate your freedom with Coulson." May looks a little sorry to be saying it. Like she would have liked to be the one to go.

Skye splutters a little, unsure of how to respond. They're not going to take no for an answer. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to clear her head. "Okay," she says. "Fine. So in half an hour Ward and I jump out this plane."

Half an hour passes far too quickly. She stands in the cargo bay, clutching Jemma tight. "It's fine," she tries to assure the scientist (even though it really isn't). "I'll be fine. I'll see you again. This will all get sorted out."

Simmons squeaks sadly, tears welling in her eyes, and pulls Fitz into the hug with them. Skye then gets a quick, chaste (but really moving) hug from May, and kind of a bear hug from a slightly teary Coulson. "We'll fix this," he assures her. Skye would love to say that she is convinced, but she's known too many broken promises in her short lifetime.

The wind rushes at them as the bay opens up to reveal blue sky and a long fall. She straps herself to Ward (and notes, despite the circumstances, that they are incredibly close and she can feel his breath in her hair). WIth one last look, they drop.


	2. you might understand

**notes:**

+ i'm kinda stunned and super pleased with the response to this, so thanks guys!

+ chapter title from "for you" by angus and julia stone (it fits so well with my ward headcanons k. i feel like i might just use the chapter titles to makes a mixtape.)

* * *

The first thing Skye notices after she picks herself up off the ground is the heat. A dry, hot wall that tickles her throat. She doesn't really notice much else for a minute, because the sun is blinding her. She shades her eyes with her hand and sees desert. "Where are we?" she asks.

"New Mexico," Ward says. Then he gets a bit more frowny than usual. "Roughly."

"What do you mean _roughly_?" Skye folds her arms, then regrets it, because the sun is in her eyes again. She forgot to pack sunglasses into her one measly little rucksack.

"I can't check the GPS," he tells her. "It could be tracked."

Skye huffs. "So which way are we heading?" she asks, squinting into the distance.

"Over there." He's already spotted the road. Of course he has.

It's further away than it looks. Skye sips slowly at her SHIELD own-brand water, trying to savour it (which feels a little ironic). It's been a horrid, exhausting day already. She wants to lie down, but she doesn't think Ward would take it well if she just stopped and took a nap on the roadside.

He flags down a car when one finally passes, and asks where they are. The driver gives them an odd look (Skye can't blame him), but tells them that they're about a half hour drive from the nearest town.

He doesn't offer them a lift.

The walk takes three hours. Mostly they are silent. Speech is way too much effort. Occasionally, Skye manages to whine something like, "How long has it been?" or "How much further?" but that's as good as it gets. It prompts no heart to hearts or deep life stories.

They themselves book into the first motel they come to.

There's only one bed, but Skye is beyond caring. Caring is a three hour walk and a skydive away. She lies face down with her nose pressed into the weird-smelling pillow and pats the space beside her. Ward doesn't say anything, but she can tell he's vaguely uncomfortable when he sits down, back against the wall.

She rolls over to look up at him. "What next?" she asks, feeling slightly readier to face the discussion now that she's hydrated and a little more relaxed.

"We need to get to New York." He doesn't sound particularly happy about it.

Neither is she. "New York?" she repeats incredulously. "Are you going for the furthest away place with the biggest SHIELD presence that you can think of?"

"Coulson suggested it. We know people there. They can help us," he says. Skye has a suspicion that she knows who he's talking about it. She's way too tired to ask.

"You do know New York must be, like, at least thirty hours from here, right? Straight. In a car," she says instead. "And in case you hadn't noticed," she adds, letting sarcasm drip into her voice, "we have no car. I will not be walking across the country. I would rather be a lab rat." She regrets saying the words as soon as they leave her mouth and cringes at herself. There's nothing she wouldn't do to avoid being cooped up in a SHIELD testing facility for the rest of her life.

Ward looks tired. "I know," he says. "But Coulson hasn't given us enough money to afford a car. And if I use any cards we'll be tracked." Skye feels like SHIELD could track them if they breathe too loud.

"Easy." She turns over onto her back, looking up at the yellowing ceiling. "I've been able to hotwire a car since I was nine. And I can use my phone to hack newer locks - RKS and all that." She's going to go on, but he looks like he's glazing over.

The prospect of her stealing a car doesn't look like it particularly excites him. "Skye," he begins, "I don't want you to…"

She scoffs. "Trying to protect me, Agent Ward?" she coos. "How do you think I got my van? Did you think I bought it?" He doesn't look shocked, so the answer is probably no, he didn't. She remembers how little he trusted her when they first met. "On the subject of illegal activity, by the way, we're going to need to hit an internet cafe or something."

"Why?" he asks.

"So I can unperson us," she explains. "It'll be safer. I can remove all traces of us from the internet, and SHIELD will have nothing to go on. We'll basically not exist." She twists her head sideways to look up at Ward. He looks a bit sad, she thinks. She realises that being erased maybe is a bit of a scary thought. "Sorry," she says immediately. "I mean, I don't have to. I just thought -"

"You're right," he says. "You should."

"You sure?" Skye asks.

He nods. "Yes." Skye waits for him to say more. It's a long wait. He's never been great with words. "It's just…" He ends there, doesn't say any more, but Skye feels she knows him well enough to fill in the blanks. He's leaving behind his life. He's throwing away his pledge to SHIELD for her. He's leaving behind the family they had made. Jemma and Leo and May and Coulson. And his real family too - his grandmother and his brother. He has a real family that he's not going to be able to contact again. Ever, maybe. She doesn't know what SHIELD will say happened to him.

She crawls up onto her knees. She's basically sitting on him, she realises. "I'm really sorry, Ward. I never meant for this to happen."

"I know." The look he gives her is soft. She remembers the first time she saw that look. _Battleship_. Her chest feels weird. And not just the sick feeling that she's had all day. Something else. "It isn't your fault. SHIELD has no right to try and take you in. This isn't what I signed up for. I signed up to protect people. That's what I'm doing."

She smiles, feeling a bit gooey inside. "Thanks," she whispers. He gives her a rare smile.

With a heavy sigh, she pulls herself off the bed and into the bathroom before she falls asleep right there, still in the clothes she walked across the desert in. She cleans herself off, scrubbing the dust from her pores until her skin is pink.

She comes out in her underwear, and doesn't miss Ward's look. "I had no space for pyjamas," she excuses herself. She's not usually this self-conscious, but she thinks she might be blushing. She hurries to the bed, tucking herself under the covers, facing towards the wall and away from him.

She feels him get up and go to the bathroom. By the time he returns she is almost asleep. She thinks she hears him say something, but she can't make out the words. Probably_ don't snore_.

* * *

**notes:**

+ yay for unreliable narrators who don't listen when they _really should_.

+ also i know i'm not being sly about the upcoming cameos.

+ next chapter: _road trip time!_


	3. on my knees and out of luck

**notes:**

+ chapter title is mumford & sons "after the storm" (bc i suck for reasons that will become apparent)

+ sorry the update took a while. also i so should have been doing homework while i was writing this.

+ anyway idek what i'm doing or where i'm going with this. but i feel it will get angsty in a couple of chapters. good luck.

* * *

Skye wakes once in the night to find herself snuggled against Ward's side. In daylight she would probably jump away, but he's comfortable and she's still half asleep so she can't think clearly. Anyway, jumping away isn't really a viable option as he's got his arm around her waist.

She wakes again and he's gone. She can hear the shower running. She rolls over and groans. And groans a bit more. Too bright.

He wanders out with a towel around his waist. "Did you say something?" he asks.

Skye wishes he wouldn't do the whole shirtless thing. It's a bit distracting. "No," she moans, finally dragging herself out of the bed.

"Get ready quickly," he tells her. "We need to be on the road within the hour, and we still need to find access to a computer so you can do your… computer thing."

An hour is a little ambitious, considering it takes Skye most of that to get dressed and for them to find breakfast.

They settle into the town's one internet cafe, which has computers that don't look very this century. Skye takes a bite out of her muffin and starts typing. Ward pretty obviously has not a clue what she's doing from the glazed look he gets on his face, but thankfully he doesn't ask questions.

The little progress that pops up on screen as she erases herself for the second time in her life is a little ominous. Ward's is next.

"You ready?" she asks him. He nods a little uncertainly, and she hits the enter key anyway.

"Okay," she says, when it's done. "I'm nearly done. I just want to try and get onto SHIELD's servers."It takes her a few minutes of furious typing, but she gets it up.

She knew she was wanted, but she didn't quite expect the first thing she'd see on the SHIELD alert feed to be her own face.

"That picture is awful," she jokes. Underneath it is: _"Skye. Wanted for questioning. Warning - dangerous."_

Beneath her own picture is Ward. His reads: "_Grant Ward. Wanted for aiding the escape of a fugitive. Warning - former SHIELD agent, dangerous_._"_

He doesn't say anything, so Skye feels the need to make another terrible joke. "Bet you never thought you'd see that," she quips. "And look at us, both dangerous. You taught me well." She knows that in reality, SHIELD considers her dangerous because of her powers.

"No," Ward says. "I didn't."

There's something in his voice that makes Skye decide this was a terrible, awful idea.

"Okay," she says quickly. "SHIELD's too secure for me to be able to do anything from here, so we can go. Let's go." Skye closes everything with a click and snaps the computer off. She stands up to fast and knocks over her chair. It clatters to the floor, but it's only them and the waitress in the place, and she's too busy on her phone.

Skye practically runs from the place. It's suddenly all feeling a bit much. She needs a distraction. Stealing a car should do nicely.

She takes a deep breath and turns to Ward. "Car. What are we looking for?"

"Nothing new," Ward says. "They might have GPS trackers." They wander along the quiet street. Skye peers down side streets, looking for something suitable.

"How about that?" she asks, turning off the main road. It's an old pale green estate car that she could steal in her sleep, but looks sturdy and reliable enough to make the drive to New York comfortably.

Waard looks it over. "Sure."

He's hardly got the word out before Skye's got the door open. He stands watch while she works, and within the minute the engine starts. "I'm out of practise," she tells him, looking up. He motions for her to move over, and she jumps across to the passenger seat.

They set off. Skye doesn't sit still for ten seconds. She starts scrabbling around the glove compartment, pulling CDs out onto her lap.

"What do you want, Ward? Britney Spears or the Best Folk Rock of 2009. You choose."

Ward doesn't look thrilled with either choice. "Not Britney Spears," he says.

"Folk Rock 2009 it is then." She pops it in.

She doesn't know any of the words, but that doesn't stop her trying to sing along regardless. And by what feels like the fiftieth time through the CD, she knows all the words, and has listened to more Mumford and Sons than most people do in a lifetime.

"Please turn it off," Ward asks, for what also feels like the fiftieth time.

"No," Skye whines back, pouting. "I like it."

"Really?"

"Yes. Anyway, would you rather Britney? Or, I think I found the Spice Girls somewhere."

"This is fine."

Skye snickers. "I'm hungry," she decides, because she can see a little town coming up. 'Little town' being a Taco Bell and a few houses

Ward sighs in exasperation, but she can tell he isn't serious. He turns into the car park of the Taco Bell. Skye bounces round the place like a five year old, and orders enough to feed a dozen people. Ward is less enthusiastic about the grimy fast food joint. Such a robot.

When they get back to the car she makes him let her drive. She piles all her food onto his lap, and eats with one hand, the other on the steering wheel.

"Skye!" Ward yelps at her. "Watch the road."

"Hmm?" Skye turns away from him to look back out the window.

"How did you ever get your license?"

Skye laughs. "Oh, yeah. No, I didn't do that."

"You don't have a license?" he repeats. "Who taught you to drive?"

"Miles," Skye says smoothly. "He taught me all these cool hacks that you can do as well. With traffic lights. You wanna demo?" She turns away from the road again to pull out her phone.

"No. No, I really don't." He looks somewhere between panicked and uncomfortable. She's not sure if it's her driving or something else. "Please let me drive."

"Nope." She pops the _p_, and grins at him. "How much further, by the way?"

Ward checks the map he has spread out on the dashboard. "Twenty hours or so still."

Skye moans and bangs her head against the steering wheel. She can see Ward tensing out of the corner of her eyes, so she peeks back up at the road. "No," she complains. "It has to be closer than that. We've been driving since forever."

Ward shrugs. "Do you want to sleep?" he asks.

Skye wants to say no, because she knows he's just trying to get her to stop driving, but she is tired. She nods reluctantly and pulls the car over to the side of the road. She shimmies across the middle of the car, because getting out and walking round would be too much effort. Ward, unfortunately, hasn't got round to moving yet, so she ends up on top of him. She can feel his breath on her neck. She lifts herself up (after a moment too long) so that he can move over to the driver's seat.

Once they're on the road again she pulls a blanket from the back and snuggles down into her seat. It's dark outside, and there are no streetlights on this empty stretch of road. Through half-closed eyes she can see Ward giving her a fond look, and then she closes them completely.

When she wakes again it's light, and they've stopped outside a coffee shop. She guesses Ward must be inside, because he's gone.

She checks the time. Eleven. Ward must have been awake for more than twenty-four hours now.

She makes him let her drive when he gets back. He agrees, if reluctantly.

She manages not to crash for the whole day. As evening draws in Ward insists he drives again.

"We're only, like, an hour out," Skye complains. "I'm pretty sure I can manage from here."

"No," Ward tells her. "I've seen how badly you drive when you're the only car in sight. You're not driving through New York City."

She relents and swaps with him. "So," she says. "We're not actually here to pay the Avengers a visit, are we?" she asks. "I mean, people you know in New York. And Coulson was their babysitter until he got -" She mimes being stabbed in the chest.

Ward smiles at her. "Only two of them," he says.

Skye's eyes light up. "Seriously? We're actually going to see the Avengers? I'm be able to get into Stark Tower and not get chucked out again?"

He looks like he might address that, then decides against it. "Yes. Coulson was the handler of Agents Barton and Romanoff before the Avengers Initiative, and I've worked with them from time to time."

"You were buddies with Black Widow?" Skye yelps, jumping in her seat.

Ward sighs. "I know her."

"Were you BFFs?" Skye pokes him and grins. He doesn't answer, so she persists in her teasing. "Do you Skype with Black Widow at the weekends?"

"No," Ward says firmly. "I do not Skype with Agent Romanoff. She's far too busy."

Skye has a whole list of questions she wants to ask, but she doesn't get the chance as Ward turns into the carpark below Stark Tower.

* * *

**notes:**

+ i really like Taco Bell okay. we don't have them here. but my headcanon is that Skye never got to go when she was in the foster system and then Miles took her one time bc he was too skint for real restaurants but Skye thought it was pretty much heaven.

+ next time: skye totally fangirls over black widow.

+ also next time: ward can't believe skye is embarrassing him in front of his friends.


	4. i'll be a thorn in your side

**notes:**

+ sorry this took ages. it isn't one of my better chapters, either, but i just wanted to get it done.

+ i'm also not sure how this fits into canon, what with the events of the winter soldier. it also assumes clint and natasha know coulson isn't dead.

+ chapter title "we sink" by chvrches

* * *

Black Widow meets them in the lobby of Stark Tower. She has her arms folded and her lips pursed, but she offers a small smile at the sight of them. She's dressed casually, in jeans and a fitted burgundy t-shirt.

Oh, if only she could tell her younger self about this.

"Come upstairs," she says, and turns to the elevator behind her. She holds the doors silently for them and presses a floor number. It rises silently to the second to top floor, and through the whole journey Skye stands in the corner and tries not to freak out over _Black Widow_.

The doors open out onto an open plan living room and kitchen. It's empty. As soon as they are inside, Black Widow (_the_ Black Widow) turns to Ward (the _Robot_) and gives him a friendly hug. "It's good to see you," she says, then grimaces. "Though I wish the circumstances were better." She turns. "You must be Skye," she says. Skye makes a strangled squeak. "Ward's told me so much about you."

The opportunity to make fun of Ward suddenly lets Skye regain the power of speech. "Oh my God!" she laughs. "You talk about me to _Black Widow_! Does that mean you _do_ Skype?"

The woman in question lets out a short breath that sounds like a laugh. "Please," she tells Skye, "call me Natasha."

Skye grins and pokes Ward in the arm. "I get to call her Natasha," she stage whispers.

Ward frowns at her disapprovingly. Skye feels tugged back to reality. Right. They're on the run.

Natasha's features also become more serious. "Come sit down," she says, walking over to the sofa. "I've told JARVIS - Stark's computer - not to keep any record of your being here." She pauses, watching Skye and Ward as they sit down opposite her. Skye has her back against the arm of the sofa and her legs stretched over Ward's lap. Being able to touch him relaxes her a little bit. It reminds her she isn't alone.

"Thanks," Ward says. "Though SHEILD would be stupid to try and get into Stark's systems."

Natasha nods in agreement. "You'll be safe here for a few hours, but I've looked at the order of operations, and this place is on the list."

"So we don't have long." Ward looks tired.

"No. And we've a lot to sort out before then." Natasha pushes herself off the couch again. She rummages in a drawer for a minute, muttering something about _Clint messing up everything_. She produces a little phone and hands it to Ward, sitting back down. "I'll keep an eye on SHIELD, make sure to contact you if they get close. They won't be able to tap that, it's on a secure line." She looks at both of them, eyes dark. "You know what you have to do?"

Skye knows the question isn't really for her. Ward nods. "Go dark," he answers. "Isolated locations for at least six months. Move every month. Don't stop for at least two years. After that urban locations and extended stays become less of a risk."

"Don't use past identities. Blend in. Don't get yourself noticed," Natasha finishes. Skye feels like they are reciting from some bit of training she must have missed. _What to do when the bosses decides they want you dead_. It's a bit scary, honestly.

"We'll go north first, then. Head across the border," Ward says. Skye feels a little left out of the conversation, like a child sitting with the grown-ups while they speak about things she doesn't really understand.

Natasha nods. "We can give you a car, get you in touch with someone for identities. You'll probably want to get overseas soon," she says.

"Thank you," Skye says, speaking for the first time in a while.

"No problem." Her smile is a little sad. "We'll stay in touch with Coulson, keep you updated. This will all get sorted out, I'm sure of it." To hear Black Widow say it is comforting to Skye, she has to admit.

Natasha checks the clock on the wall. "Did you manage to pack much?" she asks, but she looks at their meagre bags and decides for herself. "I'll get you something." She leaves the room. She's a few minutes, and Skye can hear shuffling. She leans back against the sofa. Ward must sense her worry, because he gives her leg a reassuring squeeze. She smiles in return.

Natasha returns. In tow behind her is _Hawkeye_. _The_ Hawkeye. And his arms look just as good as they do in the pictures, even if he's wearing what look like pyjamas instead of his suit. He's carrying two big rucksacks full of stuff.

"I think I can sacrifice these for you two," Natasha says. She smiles, fondly, and Skye is hit with a wave of how weird it is that her Robot is bros with two of the Avengers. And that he _forgot to mention it_.

"I'll make it up to you," Ward replies. It's super weird, Skye decides. Ward tries to get up, and she is forced to move her legs. She feels suddenly cold.

She stands up to, taking one of the rucksacks. Hawkeye (Skye reminds himself that it isn't his real name) gives her half a smile. "You got that?" he asks her.

She grins. "Yeah. I think so." She mentally curses the stupid shake in her voice.

"I'm Clint." He holds out a hand, and Skye shakes it.

"I know," Skye says. "I mean. I've seen your pictures. In the newspaper."

"You're Skye?"

Skye nods, too enthusiastically. She probably looks like some stupid bobblehead.

"Nice to meet you, Skye." He's kinda charming, in a rough sort of way.

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Stop," she says, voice lower than before. "Go make coffee." She elbows him towards the kitchen area. It's one of those moments when Skye feels like she is intruding on something private. Ward looks a little relieved that Clint has stopped talking to her though, Skye notes. "You two will need to get going soon," she says. She hands Ward a set of keys. "There's no way SHIELD should be able to trace it, so you shouldn't need to change it again. If anything does come up, I'll call you," she says. "Clint," she calls to the kitchen, and her partner looks up. "Make our guests coffee to go.

They gather their things and head for the elevator. Skye feels vaguely sick at the thought of leaving this place. It has a comforting nature about it.

"You'll be okay," Natasha assures them. Clint hands them coffee in flasks. He still looks not entirely fully awake (despite it being late evening).

"Thanks," Skye says again, and she means it. Ward nods in agreement.

They steps back into the elevator, and the doors slide silently closed. Skye hugs herself and glances up at Ward.

She takes a sip from her flask and grimaces.

Hawkeye makes terrible coffee.


End file.
